I laughed out loud when I came across this picture on FB. I have included a rough pronounciation in Black Country English.
Recently, we unpacked the soft toys. A dusty, sun-bleached, Pooh, of late 80s vintage emerged.
This year’s Yule tree again includes a bauble depicting a snapshot of Pooh walking their path. I feel a connection with Pooh. They are one of my alter egos.
However, my soulmate in the journey poem below is a Tiger rather than a Tigger or a Piglet.
A shared legato Almost deafening Mezzo-staccato of “see-hearing” Zooming by Fermata Reflecting on The path here
Out of step Out of time Even in minority Faction of a fraction of inversion Lightness of spirit greyed by inner dark Misguided Misunderstood Yearning to fit in To be part Of something
Journey’s search Whilst learning life Decades taught Idealist dreams to be Reality soured Came to nought
There is I and those closest to Wakeup to then and now You gentle old Airhead fool For thirty-two years counterpoint In duet steadied the line A little out of step a little out of time A shared legato
World’s a blur of noise In home’s sotto voce Dark thins to quiet glimmer In warmth of being known In coda we crescendo
Flying between Brisbane and Cairns, in October 2024, I glimpsed sand surrounded by turquoise tropical waters, dropping away to deeper blue depths through small starboard panes.
Hastily taken snaps on my phone helped me to remember the moment. During the next twelve months, I tried out some of the colours in water element paintings.
Retracing the route, a year later, proved to be the catalyst for developing imagined sand bar shapes and layouts.
This A6 sized organic sketch was to be the design, on four times larger, A3 paper. At the last moment, I decided not to pencil an outline. I drew three shapes using the edge of a candle, saved from my niece’s birthday in September this year.
Relying on the light catching the wax on paper, viewed across the surface was hit and miss. I accepted whatever happened would what I would work with.
Beginning with thin turquoise washes, the white outlines emerged, revealing the paper beneath. The white reminded me of the waves gently breaking on unseen barriers.
When satisfied with the colour, I added recycled salt crystals to add texture. Next the inky depths began to form.
Again using wax resist, the exposed sand outlines were added along with light yellow ochre glazes. Adding wax to the sand and glazing with burnt umber provided streaks of matter caught in rivulets.
I usually start and finish a painting in a few hours. On this occasion, the creation process stretched over two delicious days.
Word sketch Urban nature Provides space To race Or to ponder What lies yonder Out of reach James’ magic peach Synapses snap Cogs whirl Mind unfurls This biological being’s Walking forth Sharing mirth Giving birth Ideas sparkling Magnificent malarkey Discombobulated balderdash Audaciously avalanching altitudially advancing
Inside a ninth-floor suite of natural neutrals accented by tropical hues – a light, lofty stateroom habitat of linen-clad lovelies. Warm, breezy beach vibes frame a palm-frond northern view – a timely bijoux retreat for two naive, nomadic flamingo sages to cook, entertain, chill, and enjoy their twilight decades.
Beyond, flopsy-hatted humans advance along the Hades’ halls – kaleidoscopic thongs flip-flopping euphonically, poolside accessory-laden carts jostling elevator-bound, transferring the host to resort-style amenities. Dotty, striped, and floral-flavoured swim-wearers recline, relax, relinquish their stressors – smiling, sunny-clad, solar seekers sailing by.
Pandora’s perspective:
Haunted, harrow-hued, scantly clad humans, paternoster-bound – cacophonous utility trollies jamming – hastening down the halls of Hades to access bought-and-paid for resort type amenities: A ghoulish, leathery-skinned haven or – hell?
After eons on Mars, Aurelia was cast out because they challenged the persecution of the Transient by Orangan, the orange overlord. Essential for harvesting Sylph spores, the amorphic Transient beings were being systematically hunted down, frozen, and cryovaced by Orangan’s national guard.
Previously free to the subterranean dwelling Martian inhabitants, they now paid a premium to Orangan for Sylph; necessary for breathing Mars’ rapidly diminishing ether.
Following a short internment onboard prison propulsion ship, Pulsar, Aurelia silently meditated on their misfortune. Accepting the inevitable unknown, Aurelia was jettisoned into the velvety black void.
All was not lost, Aurelia’s form hardened as they gently tumbled through the Solar System, in awe of the surrounding celestial firmament. Time seemed to stand still as Aurelia contemplated the events leading up to their downfall, the uncertainty of the future, and forgiving the perpetrators of their demise.
An eternity passed as Aurelia’s DNA drew them into Earth’s atmosphere-once home to their ancient ancestors.
Rolling through the meagre air, Aurelia plunged into the over warmed ocean, enveloping the planet. Instantly their body gelatinises.
Descending into the murky microbial vortex, the pressure squeezes Aurelia, elongating them, tendrils break free, catapulted into the distance, to explode into a myriad of fragments, adding to the primordial gloop.
In a flash of elation, Aurelia’s core collapses into the welcoming embrace of the Titan, architect of the universe. Matter melding, consciousness transcending, and rebirth imminently assured.
ChatGPT suggested amusing backstory to accompany the doodle, below.
eet Glorpt the Absent-Minded Cosmic Squidlet, a creature who accidentally slipped through a wormhole while trying to remember where it left its snacks.
Glorpt was born in the Candy Nebula, a gelatinous region of outer space where everything—from the asteroids to the stars—has the texture of gummy bears. The squidlets there spend their days practicing interpretive floating, inventing new colours (like blorple and snorgreen), and forgetting what they were doing mid-glide.
One fateful day, Glorpt mistook a wormhole for a vending machine and—poof!—found itself splattered onto a strange blue-and-gold world (that’s Earth, apparently). Ever since, it’s been trying to blend in by posing as modern art. When people stare too long, Glorpt blinks slowly and pretends it’s a reflection on the glass.
Its bright pink and green camouflage was meant to imitate cosmic coral, but on Earth it mostly attracts curious humans and confused lizards. The single wide eye? That’s not for seeing—it’s for daydreaming about home and wondering if it ever really existed.
Locals say if you stare back into that eye for too long, you’ll forget what you were doing too—just like Glorpt.
Three years ago, I blogged about numerology derived from significant dates and life plans. The post wrapped up with a brief reflection on the number eight.
For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated with this number. It is my favourite digit, and my alter ego, Airhead takes their shape from it.
In rationalising my fascination of eight, I was born in the month of October. The original Roman calendar started in March, it was the eighth month of the year. It retained its name after becoming the tenth month when January and February were added.
Whilst it is a stretch for my date of birth to equal 8, it can be done by equating October to 8 plus day of 17th, 1+7=8 plus my birth year of 1. 8+8+1=17 1+7=8.
The numerology of my initials RGJ just happens to be 8.
Individually the meaning of letters as represented by numbers, as reported by Google Gemini:
“* R (9): The number 9 is associated with philanthropy, humanitarianism, and universal consciousness. People with the letter R often have a strong desire to serve others and possess great compassion.
G (7): The number 7 represents spirituality, wisdom, and a quest for knowledge. Individuals with the letter G are often introspective, analytical, and have a deep curiosity about the world.
J (1): The number 1 signifies leadership, independence, and a pioneering spirit. The letter J suggests a person who is ambitious, innovative, and has a strong sense of self.
When these letters are combined as initials, their energies are believed to interact and create a unique blend of characteristics. The combination of R, G, and J suggests a person who is a compassionate and wise leader, someone who uses their intellect and drive to help others and make a positive impact on the world.”
I stand by the above analysis: in and outside work, I serve and help others, and exercise curiosity, independent thinking, and being a free spirit.
When taking short breaks at the Noosa Rivet Retreat, Noosaville we generally stay in room seven. Most recently it was unavailable, we took room eight, is this coincidence?
Today (1+7+1+0+2+0+2+5=18, 1+8=9), I turn 62 (6+2=8). 9+8=17 1+7=8
When Ansett airline closed down in 2002, we became loyal to Virgin Blue then Virgin Australia.
This morning, thinking we would buy a Virgin lounge pass, we discovered there is no longer a Virgin lounge at Cairns airport.
We dropped the Apex car rental off an hour earlier than necessary at 11:00am, so that we had plenty of time to navigate roadwork delays between Port Douglas and Cairns.
Naively, we believed we would able to drop our bags off at the airport, to access the shopping and dining opportunities prior to flying at 2:50pm.
We were greeted by closed Virgin Australia check-in desks, opening at 1:20 pm. Hopefully, we sit, occasionally gazing over at Virgin staff seated behind the check-in desks.
Other passengers arrive, speak to smiling staff, they are sent away.
I had refused to believe an online review of Virgin having become a budget airline.
For an idealist, reality is the foulest tasting pill to swallow, let alone digest. Gaily floating around on a cloud of optimism and wonder one second, to thudding to earth, gasping in lungs of detritus, the next.
From experience, a sound night’s sleep goes someway to reset and resume the ascension of the ladder of acceptance and commitment, through adaptation and evolution.
My delusions of grandeur know no bounds!
It is the King’s (previously Queen’s) birthday, long weekend in Queensland. A perfect opportunity to reflect on personal and financial duties whilst enjoying a break.
Balancing optimism with responsibility is a dance requiring grace and acknowledgement of reality. How do you strike that balance in your own life?
During this time, I have changed employer twice, we tied the knot, and we moved home from Lewisham to Leichhardt to Morningside to Deception Bay to Hamilton.
theINFP 